Halloween Styling
On Halloween night I set the mood for our Halloween soirée by dimming the lights and lighting lots of candles and votives
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Welcome
I am so glad you found me, and I hope you enjoy everything you find here. I look forward to showing you how to live an inspired life and find the beauty in the ordinary every day.
I want to share with you things that bring me joy - my home, the food I make, and the mind-blowing natural therapy of gardening.
I am here to inspire you with delicious food recipes, and beautiful sustainable home styling tips, as well as creating wonderfully welcoming outside spaces for you to step out to.
In this busy world, I believe we all need to look to our home comforts and how we can make this personal sanctuary warm and beautiful.
I hope my website will be a source of inspiration to you all.
Tara x
Photograph taken @ Borde Hill Gardens
Tara's Culinary Services
Garden & Home Styling
Tara's Blog & Articles
Tara de la Motte
Sep 302 min read
Tara's October 2024 Letter
We are now in full autumnal glory as the trees turn amber and gold, before winter's arrival. One of my favourite times of the year
Tara de la Motte
Sep 142 min read
Home Sweet Home
Home is where the heart is... That very familiar place that we call home beckons us each time we are out of its endearing reach
Tara de la Motte
Sep 12 min read
Tara's September 2024 Letter
Here we are in September with summer fading away and autumn showing her golden sun-kissed face while painting the landscape red and gold
Tara de la Motte
Aug 251 min read
Cucumber Sandwiches Recipe
The Cucumber Sandwich is considered the aristocrat of the tea table . It is described as the cool, gracious and the most impeccable sandwich
Tara de la Motte
Aug 151 min read
The Art of Display
Collecting the ingredients for a display takes years and the satisfaction you get from them is immense.
Tara de la Motte
Aug 12 min read
Tara's August 2024 Letter
As I write this months editors letter, bright sunlight is filtering through the window and I feel I could be sitting in a Mediterranean vill
Tara de la Motte
Jul 202 min read
Victoria Sponge Recipe & Video
Who can resist an adorable Victoria sandwich filled with buttercream , strawberry jam and topped off with fresh strawberries
Tara de la Motte
Jul 42 min read
Hampton Court Flower Show
The worlds largest flower show in the most magnificent setting - Hampton Court palace garden festival returned this year
Tara de la Motte
Jul 12 min read
Tara's July 2024 Letter
I simply love this month and all the sun drenched days to bask in the warmth, savouring every moment
Tara de la Motte
Jun 214 min read
English Afternoon Tea Sandwich Video
Tara, creates the perfect traditional 'English Afternoon Tea' Sandwich selection. The quintessential English teatime experience.
Tara de la Motte
May 312 min read
Tara's June 2024 Letter
As I write this months editors letter, I am enveloped by the scents of summer blossom all around me
Tara de la Motte
May 201 min read
Smoked Salmon & Caviar Crostinis
I always manage to delight my guests when I bring out a platter of these smoked salmon and caviar crostinis
Tara de la Motte
May 143 min read
Shabby Chic
Comfort, Cosiness and relaxation are some of the fundamentals of Shabby Chic it is a unpretentious and exquisitely beautiful style
Tara de la Motte
May 13 min read
May 2024 Editors Letter
May is a wonderful month with spring blossoming all around us. The landscape is filled with flowers and lush green foliage
Tara de la Motte
Apr 201 min read
Beef & Horseradish Sandwiches Recipe
These sophisticated sandwiches with roast beef, tangy horseradish cream and crunchy watercress are simply divine
Tara de la Motte
Apr 81 min read
Art of Display Article
For the display - I place the magnolia branches in a deep vase and fill it with water, just over halfway. Then I immerse the Camilla
Tara de la Motte
Apr 11 min read
Tara's April 2024 Letter
I love April, for me this is the month I really feel the changing of the seasons. Spring has really sprung! and it feels like every corner
Tara de la Motte
Mar 281 min read
Easter Time 2024
Easter for me is yet another excuse to decorate our home. After all the Christmas decorations get put away
Tara de la Motte
Mar 141 min read
Art of Display
I love displaying my hellebore flowers inside a crystal bowl filled with water but they will look equally good floating inside a China bowl
Tara de la Motte
Mar 11 min read
Tara's March 2024 Letter
March is a month I most look forward to and when I feel like, spring really has arrived in all her glory.
Tara de la Motte
Feb 291 min read
Art of Display
Elevate your everyday surroundings with the subtle art of display. Small displays with beautiful objects of affection that you have gathered
Tara de la Motte
Feb 151 min read
Cherry Blossom & Daffodils
On these dark wet February days it’s a joy to see the first Cherry Blossom & Daffodils appear in the garden
Tara de la Motte
Feb 71 min read
Chilli Prawns & Couscous Recipe & Video
My recipe for Chilli Prawns with Golden Couscous is a easy, tasty meal for two. Takes minutes to make and is lovely as a lunch or a supper
Tara de la Motte
Feb 11 min read
Tara's February 2024 Letter
After the hustle and bustle of the last two months with all the festivities, February for me is a month of quiet calm as I plan for the year
Tara de la Motte
Jan 152 min read
Winter Luxe
To celebrate this winter season here are some tips on how to survive the cold months ahead in comfort and style
Tara de la Motte
Jan 12 min read
Tara's January 2024 Letter
As I step into 2024, I like to take a moment for reflection and think about the past 12 months
Tara de la Motte
Dec 14, 20231 min read
Christmas Homemade Wreath
There is nothing more welcoming than a hand crafted wreath for your front door. Creating your very own foraged wreath is far lovelier than
Tara de la Motte
Dec 1, 20232 min read
Tara's December 2023 Letter
It takes me a whole week to decorate the house, festooning every room with festive necessities to capture the Christmas spirit
Tara de la Motte
Oct 31, 20231 min read
Tara's November 2023 Letter
A time to enjoy a walk through the countryside among the crisp fallen leaves, as the season gives way to winter
Tara de la Motte
Sep 6, 20231 min read
Coffee & Walnut Cake Recipe
This is a lovely classic cake with a wonderful combination of coffee and walnut with a delicious cream frosting
Tara de la Motte
Aug 20, 20231 min read
Fruit Salad & Greek Yogurt Recipe & Video
Tara's fruit salad with Greek Yoghurt is a versatile dish, that can be served as a side salad, dessert or an appetiser.
Tara de la Motte
Aug 14, 20231 min read
Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Sandwiches
Who can resist beautifully made smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches with a hint of lemon. An elegant sandwich to grace afternoon tea
Tara de la Motte
Jun 7, 20231 min read
Wildflowers in the Park
Whilst on a walk through our favourite park - we were wonderfully surprised to see a small meadow of the most beautiful wildflowers.
Tara de la Motte
May 14, 20231 min read
A Spring Garden Posey
A beautiful posey of flowers picked from the garden with their cheerful, uplifting colours speaks of spring and the promise of summer
Tara de la Motte
May 7, 20231 min read
Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe
The 'Lemon Drizzle' is a wonderfully moist cake steeped in a sharp,sweet lemon syrup and is the perfect addition to your afternoon tea
Tara de la Motte
Apr 14, 20231 min read
Flower Arranging (Tulips)
A simple arrangement of flowers can change the feeling of a room in an instant.
Tara de la Motte
Mar 16, 20232 min read
Beautiful Glassware
No home is complete without a collection of glassware - in fact it’s a necessity
Tara de la Motte
Mar 8, 20232 min read
Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Crostini
These Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Crostinis are easy to make, colourful and sophisticated
Tara de la Motte
Mar 1, 20231 min read
Tara's March 2023 Letter
Spring has arrived at last! with daffodils, paperwhites, and a wonderful melody of colourful bulbs popping up everywhere
Tara de la Motte
Jan 22, 20231 min read
Plum Crumble with Custard
What better dessert for a lazy Sunday than a comforting crumble. Plum crumble is a family favourite made using juicy ripped plums and topped
Tara de la Motte
Jan 1, 20232 min read
Tara's January 2023 Letter
As a brand New Year dawns, I like to reflect briefly on the year that has passed and not dwell or linger there for too long
Tara de la Motte
Sep 19, 20222 min read
A Fond Farewell to our Beloved Queen
This has been a poignant month as we say goodbye to our most gracious Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll
Tara de la Motte
Aug 15, 20221 min read
Front Garden Makeover
I’ve been dreaming to recreate our front garden for ages and this summer I finally started the process.
Tara de la Motte
Aug 6, 20221 min read
Exotic blooms
Exotic flowers take us on a journey to faraway places. For me, they remind me of the tropics where I spent the early part of my childhood
Tara de la Motte
Jul 15, 20221 min read
Garden (Sweet Pea Posey)
Filling our homes with freshly cut blooms (such as Sweet Peas) from the garden is an absolute joy and one that makes me so happy.
Tara de la Motte
Jul 1, 20221 min read
July 2022 Editors Letter
It is that time of the year when we can pause a little, enjoy and make most of these sunny summer days.
Tara de la Motte
Jun 24, 20221 min read
Coronation Chicken Poppadom Canapés
Coronation Chicken Poppadom Canapés. These are wonderfully tasty and rather exotic. They are rather fun to make and takes no time at all
Tara de la Motte
Jun 5, 20222 min read
Miniature Pond in a Pot
There is something sensual and tranquil about having a water feature in a garden. No matter what size
Tara de la Motte
Jun 1, 20222 min read
June 2022 Editors Letter
We welcome June for the longer and warmer days it brings with hopefully lots of summer sunshine
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